Slip, Trip or Fall Compensation Claims

Slips and trips are the most common of work place hazards and make up over a third of all major injuries.

Over 10,000 workers suffered serious injury because they tripped last year. Click to read about Corrie McLaren, who received 100% of her compensation after a slip and fall at work.

The Health and Safety Executive is running a Shattered Lives Campaign warning of the consequences from slips, trips and falls from height. The Health and Safety Executive publish the slips and trips e-Learning package to help you assess and manage slip and trip hazards in the work place.

Unfortunately despite the work place regulations which provide that employers should take steps to prevent slip hazards, there are cases where serious injuries occur after slipping and tripping in the work place. Such injuries can happen to anyone regardless of age or sex. A fractured wrist is a common consequence.

Slip hazards are:

Wet floors
Unsuitable footwear
Loose mats
Rain, sleet and snow,
Change from a wet to dry surface,
Unsuitable floor covering
Dusty floors

In September 2010 the press reported a major supermarket was fined after ignoring advice about fitting a particular type of floor tiles in food preparation areas of all of its new stores (despite them being a known hazard in other outlets).

Walkways are a common source of injury where items are left that are a trip hazard or spillages are not cleared up. Careful care and maintenance is required to provide safe walking surfaces.

Top damages awards for slip and trip injury claims

Lawford Kidd settled a claim for a care assistant who slipped in the company’s wash facilities. The floor surface was inappropriate. She recovered £45,000 for a serious back injury. Local authorities have a duty to maintain and keep in a safe condition public roads and paths. With the current financial restrictions on local authorities often the courts are not sympathetic to claimants if the hazard is not severe. If the local authority has ignored a clearly risky hazard and there is evidence that the authority knew of the damage or failure to maintain, a claim may lie against their insurers. Any tripping accident on roads or pavements should be reported immediately to the local authority and photographs and measurements taken.